While Defence in Parliament remains quiet as summer recess continues, news from industry and overseas continued to fill headlines. In a major blow to Boeing, defence workers at the aircraft manufacturer have gone on strike for the first time in nearly 30 years, after members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in … Continued
Headlines over the past week have been dominated by Sir Keir Starmer’s ultimatum to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that the UK could recognise a Palestinian state as soon as the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and takes steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza. A major shift in … Continued
July has proven to be a busy month for Sir Keir Starmer on the foreign policy and diplomacy front, and the past week was no exception. In a win for the PM and his growth agenda, the UK and India finalised a trade deal that is expected to boost British exports to India by 60% … Continued
Over the past week, headlines have been consumed by the news that a massive data breach by the MoD has resulted in almost 7,000 Afghan nationals being relocated to the UK. In February 2022, around 20,000 individuals, including Afghans who had worked for British and foreign forces, UK special forces, MI6 agents, and military officers, … Continued
Last week was an important moment for Sir Keir Starmer and his foreign policy and diplomacy efforts, with French President Macron coming to the UK for a state visit. On 10th July, the UK and France announced the Northwood Declaration, confirming that the two countries will “coordinate across nuclear policy, capabilities, and operations”, and that … Continued
While Defence garnered fewer headlines than in previous weeks, last week was nonetheless a busy week for UK Defence in Parliament, with House of Commons Defence Questions being followed by two Defence Committee Sessions – on access to Defence finance and the work of the Secretary of State for Defence. In other news, as reported … Continued
Headlines over the past week were consumed by the NATO summit and whether the new target of spending 5% of GDP would be agreed by the alliance, as members try to convince President Trump that NATO is a worthwhile alliance. An overall successful summit, questions will nevertheless be raised over how Sir Keir Starmer plans … Continued
Weekly Defence Rundown 16th-22nd June 2025 The past week in the defence and security landscape was undoubtedly extremely busy. With the conflict between Israel and Iran escalating and the US targeting three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, the world waits to see what the fallout will be both in the short and long term. Geopolitics continued … Continued
On 9th June 2025, CMS Strategic attended the launch of a report that could reshape the financial outlook for UK-based defence SMEs and break down some of the barriers the sector faces in accessing funding. “Rewiring British Defence Financing”, by Labour MPs Luke Charters (York Outer) and Alex Baker (Aldershot), sets out the case for … Continued
The past week may go down as one of the busiest weeks in Defence, with not only the publication of the long-awaited Strategic Defence Review (SDR), but also with the news that the UK has agreed to significantly increase its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, after bowing to pressure from NATO. However, this will … Continued